Paramedic who stood with hands in pockets while patient died of heart attack to find out fate
A paramedic who stood motionless with his hands in his pockets while a patient was left dying of a heart attack outside a hospital will find out his professional fate at an upcoming conduct hearing.
Matthew Geary avoided jail despite what a judge described as a 'callous' and 'uncaring' failure to act when 47-year-old Carl Cope collapsed outside Walsall Manor Hospital.
The 37-year-old of Manor Avenue, Great Wyrley, was given an eight-month prison term, suspended for two years, in February and told to carry out 240 hours of unpaid work.
Geary will now appear at a Conduct and Competence Committee hearing in London on December 11 where he could face being struck of the register to practise by the Health and Care Professions Council.
HCPC spokeswoman Rebekah Tailor said: "The final hearing is for our panel to decided if his fitness to practise has been impaired and to determine a sanction if necessary.
"The possible outcome will either be that impairment is not well found and there will be no sanction or if his fitness is found to be impaired the worst case scenario is that he could be struck off the register.
"There could also be a suspension of up to 12 months or there could be a 'conditions of practice' order for up to five years."
Mr Cope, of Parker Street in Bloxwich, died on June 23 in 2012 not long after Geary ignored his plea for help despite the efforts of others to resuscitate him.
A post-mortem revealed a pre-existing heart condition while medical evidence suggested his chances of survival would have increased if the chest pains he complained of had been diagnosed as a heart problem.
When the investigation into the matter was launched Geary resigned from West Midlands Ambulance Service where he had served for eight years.
He was originally accused of manslaughter, but pleaded guilty to a count of failing to discharge his duty.
Another paramedic, Andrew Davies, who was involved in the poor treatment of Mr Cope also faces a fitness to practice hearing with the HCPC.
He was never charged in relation to the matter although the ambulance service chose to dismiss him for his part in the incident.
He was due to appear before a panel in October but the case was adjourned with a new date yet to be arranged.
